So, after much anticipation, it's official. Nearly all Twitter users have 280 characters.
by Kerry-Lynne Pyke
Since launching to much excitement on Tuesday, it's no surprise that #280characters has been trending as individuals and organisations play with double the characters.
As communicators, it provides us with more space to engage with our audiences and to test out longer copy.
But it also provides us with the challenge of changing our 140-character mindsets when planning and creating our Twitter content.
It's been fantastic to see so many organisations nail their first 280 characters already.
Some of my favourites include Oxfam GB, the wonderful team at Innocent and many UK emergency services as collated by The Poke.
I’ve also enjoyed seeing individuals celebrate this new-found freedom with poetry, jokes and inspired use of emojis as we dealt with losing the character countdown to a circle. Cannot deal.
For communicators in Wales, I think this development gives us an extra opportunity - to communicate bilingually in English and in Welsh, something most of our organisations want to or are legally required to do.
Until yesterday, the 140 characters meant we often had to communicate in separate English and Welsh tweets.
There was usually too little space to use both at the same time, especially as Welsh text tends to be longer.
It also meant we often created shorter English language copy to ensure we had enough space to say what we wanted to in Welsh.
Another approach many Welsh organisations such as The Wales Millennium Centre and South Wales Police take is to run accounts in both languages, giving users a clear choice.
I wonder if organisations’ two account approach will change with 280 characters giving us more space to interweave both languages in the same tweet.
At the same time, it could impact user experience for people who want their content in the language of their choice only so there are pros and cons.
I think these extra characters give us the opportunity to communicate more creatively especially when using more than one language.
It gives the languages enough room to coexist in a single tweet.
What's your take on #280characters? Will your organisation consider a different approach to communicating in English and Welsh because of it? I'd love to know. Tweet me
Kerry-Lynne Pyke is communications manager (Wales) at Macmillan Cancer Support
image via garlandcannon
